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Induction of Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD[P]H: Quinone Oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) by a Phenolic Antioxidant, Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Its Metabolite, tert-Butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) in Primary-Cultured Human and Rat Hepatocytes

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Abstract

Purpose

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of a phenolic antioxidant, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and its metabolite, tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) on the induction of HO-1, NQO1 and Nrf2 proteins and their regulatory mechanisms in primary-cultured hepatocytes.

Methods

After exposure of BHA and tBHQ to primary-cultured rat and human hepatocytes and mouse neonatal fibroblasts (MFs), Western blot, semi-quantitative RT-PCR and microarray analysis were conducted.

Results

Induction of HO-1, NQO1 and Nrf2 proteins and activation of ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 were observed after BHA and tBHQ treatments in primary-cultured rat and human hepatocytes. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR study and microarray analysis revealed that HO-1 and NQO1 were transcriptionally activated in primary-cultured rat hepatocytes and a substantial transcriptional activation, including HO-1 occurred in primary-cultured human hepatocytes after BHA treatment. Whereas BHA failed to induce HO-1 in wild-type and Nrf2 knock-out MFs, tBHQ strongly induced HO-1 in wild-type, but not in Nrf2 knock-out MFs.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that both BHA and tBHQ are strong chemical inducers of HO-1, NQO1 and Nrf2 proteins in primary-cultured human and rat hepatocytes with the activation of MAPK ERK1/2 and JNK1/2. However, in MFs, BHA failed to induce HO-1, whereas tBHQ strongly induced HO-1 in Nrf2 wild-type but not in Nrf2 knock-out, suggesting that Nrf2 is indispensable for tBHQ-induced HO-1 in MF.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all the members in Dr. Tony Kong's lab for the help in the discussion and preparation of this manuscript. This work was supported by the National Institute of Health Grant R01-CA094828.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 160 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA

    Young-Sam Keum, Jung-Hwan Kim, Changjiang Xu, Xiaoling Yuan & Ah-Ng Kong

  2. Department of Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Bristol Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals, Princeton, New Jersey, USA

    Yong-Hae Han & Saeho Chong

  3. Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, s117543, Singapore

    Celine Liew

  4. Department of Medicine, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA

    Michael P. Shakarjian

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  1. Young-Sam Keum
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Correspondence to Ah-Ng Kong.

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Keum, YS., Han, YH., Liew, C. et al. Induction of Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD[P]H: Quinone Oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) by a Phenolic Antioxidant, Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Its Metabolite, tert-Butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) in Primary-Cultured Human and Rat Hepatocytes. Pharm Res 23, 2586–2594 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-006-9094-2

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